In vitro clonal propagation of vulnerable ethnomedicinal cucurbit, red ball snake gourd (trichosanthes tricuspidata lour.)

Abstract

Protocol for in vitro clonal propagation through shoot proliferation of nodal explants of a vulnerable ethnomedicinal Cucurbit, Trichosanthes tricuspidata Lour., was developed. Maximum number of shoots (20.16±0.79) and shoot length (4.16±0.79) was obtained on MS medium supplemented with BAP (4.0 mg/L) + TDZ (0.5 mg/L), after four weeks of culture. Microshoots cultured on MS medium supplemented with IBA (1.5 mg/L) produced adventitious roots. Cytological examination of root tips of plantlets (R₁) obtained in this study did not reveal mitotic anomalies and the R₁ plantlets were morphologically similar to mother plant. About 70% of R₁ plantlets transferred to field condition survived and the vine grew well. These results demonstrated that in vitro clonal propagation of T. tricuspidata is technically viable.